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A Massive Earthquake Hits Japan

By now you’ve seen the pictures and watched the videos. You know of the immense devastation. The unprecedented wreckage.

It’s easy to feel hopeless at a moment like this. But we can all do something to help.

Get InvolvedThe American Red Cross is accepting donations for victims of this disaster. Visit their website here or stop by any of their local offices. To make it even easier, The Red Cross is also accepting donations via text. Simply send the word REDCROSS to 90999 to automatically donate $10. This amount will be debited on your regular monthly bill.

There are other ways to help. Contact your Local Red Cross branch if you’d like to give blood, volunteer your time or learn more.

Earthquake And TsunamiThe earthquake struck around 2:46pm (JST). It was an 8.9 magnitude quake that shook buildings, caused city-wide blackouts and unleashed an untold amount of destruction. Hundreds of lives were lost. Entire cities were damaged. And the horror wasn’t over.

More than 50 aftershocks continued to shake Japan for several hours after the quake. The catastrophic violence induced a 23-foot tsunami. Huge waves crashed into cities; sweeping away homes, vehicles and anything else in their path. This storm travelled across the Pacific, causing large waves to flood parts of Hawaii and threatening towns along the western coast of the United States.

Things could get even worse. The cooling system of a nuclear power plant in Fukushima was damaged. Japanese officials have declared a state of emergency and evacuated more than 2,000 people living near the plant. For now the reactor remains stable, but it must be cooled. Without electricity, the reactor is relying on battery power alone. Crews are working around the clock to prevent further catastrophe, but the situation remains tense.

An Ongoing CrisisAftershocks continue to hit Japan. Several countries remain on watch for tsunamis. Thousands of homes have been destroyed. Many people have lost their lives. There is no telling how much damage has been done.

The American Red Cross is one of several organizations that are dedicated to helping people in the aftermath of this and other disasters throughout the world. We can all do something to help the people who have lost so much. We are grateful to everyone who gives their time, money and other resources to help. Thank you for reading the PeopleFinders people search blog.